Favourite Club

What's your favourite club? No, I'm not talking about the bar down the street, I'm talking about your golf club. 

One of the weekly games that our Ladies' League plays, I will call it 'Take it or Leave it', only lets them play with a few clubs. The rules of the game are:

1. Take your putter
2. Choose 3 other clubs
3. Leave everything else behind in your car
4. Using only those 4 clubs, play golf

Sounds daunting right? Yes, it has its challenges, but this is what's great about it. Some ladies take the easy route and choose their 3 favourite clubs to accompany the putter. But if you wanted a challenge, you should take your 3 weakest clubs. Why? Because this way you are forced to use them and practice making them work for you. 

For example, I am terrible at using hybrids. I just can't get them to work to my advantage. So when I carry my whole set of clubs with me, I often opt for a club I'm more comfortable with. Yes, it's great to hit a nice shot, but I'm losing out on a) getting use of my hybrids and b) I never give myself the chance to learn to use them.

This way, with only 3 clubs and a putter, when you're out on the fairway and your favourite clubs are in yards away the car, you have no other choice but to learn how to make it work for you.

So next time you're out for a less-serious round, play Take it or Leave it. Choose 3 clubs and putter and play your round. What will you do? Take the easy way out, or the hard way out?

Online Dating

This is a weighted title. Those two words hold a lot of heat. A recent trend? I'm not so sure it's still 'recent', but it is definitely still trending. It started with E-Harmony, then Match.com, and now plenty-of-fish and ok-cupid. The online dating service is expanding. 

This topic has been heavily discussed and now it's time to take it to the Bushwood Blog. I've been avoiding this topic for a while now, and I think it's finally time to face it. 

Lets weigh the pro's and con's:


PROS
-get to know someone first before going on a date
-no awkward conversation of if the person is interested in a relationship or not (otherwise, why would they be on the website)
-matched with the right personality (or so the websites claim)
-time saver
-avoid the awkward 'asking out' interaction in public

CONS
-lacks originality
-minimal effort (could be a pro?)
-no physical interaction
-lacks personal touch
-LOTS of fish in the sea (almost too many to weed out)
-lose the ability to interact in person and feel the first spark

So here's the dilemma: online dating has spread beyond its original target group of 35 year olds and up. Now, it encompasses almost every age group. You have to be 18 to join, but really? 18 year olds don't need to be on a dating website. That's just wrong. Today when I came home, my roommate told me about her friend that was going on a date with someone she met on Match.com. First of all, what 21 year old needs to pay for an online dating site. We are in our prime to go out and meet people, especially in university. Second of all, what 21 year old MALE is likely to go on an online dating site...probably not someone I'd want to date. So as a female, is the online dating pool limited? 

I just don't know which way to go on this debate. Yes, it's great for meeting people if you don't have the opportunity to. But if you do have the opportunity, get out from behind the screen and meet them on your own time at your own pace.

What are your thoughts? 

Golf Gadgets

While trying to come up with a topic for my next posting, I decided to do some research. I did some googling and came across a product that...well, I don't really know what to say about this product.

So, before I tell you what it is, lets play a guessing game. See if you can figure out the product from these hints:

1. Goes in your golf bag
2. Provides you with one of the necessities of life
3. Has two physical states: solid and liquid
4. Battery operated
5. Completes your golf game

Stumped yet?? It's the Drink Dispensing Driver (highlight over the blank area to see the answer)

After reading the product description here, http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20130422/drink-dispensing-driver/ I discovered that it isn't actually a useable golf club. Thank goodness! But for $89.95, you can disguise your drinks in this golf club look-a-like. Powered by 2 AA batteries, this product claims to hold 54oz (about 6 cups) of liquid while maintaining the temperature for up to 5 hours.

For those of you who love to give gag gifts at Christmas, I think this will be the perfect thing. Although it comes at a hefty price ($89.95...seriously!?) it would be interesting to see if it actually works. 

But before you think about ordering this item, take a look at the image - it appears to be just half a driver shaft with an attachment to what looks to be inside a pocket in the golf bag. Rip off! For $89.95, I expect a full golf club shaft.

Regardless, it's an ideal solution to quenching your thirst on the course before the Beverage Cart makes its rounds. Or of course, just grab a good-ole fashioned water bottle like everyone else does...

    VS

Labour Day Weekend

Well everyone, it's officially the Labour Day Long Weekend. The last weekend of the summer before the kids all go back to school and life gets a little more chaotic. Juggling the different emotions that everyone has getting back into a routine can be a challenge. And on top of that, there are school/work lunches to be made, clothes to be laid out the night before, shopping to be done, and I'm sure I left a few things out.

Handling and coordinating a smooth transition back into 'life' can be difficult. Here are a few handy tips to remember:

*The kids are feeling anxious - just remember, anxiety is a normal hormonal reaction, especially with change going on. Keep your cool and remind yourself that 'this too shall pass'. Take it minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.

*The stress is causing your grey hair to come out - well, this too is a natural reaction. Handle your stress as best you can by getting a daily organizer to strategize and plan out your days and weeks. And most importantly, stop by Shoppers Drug Mart for that root touch up kit.

*Shopping for new outfits - ugh, the dreaded shopping day. Remember to keep your patience in tact, and just go with the flow. Eat a good breakfast and bring water with you. You never know when you're going to get a stress headache and need to hydrate.

*Back to school/work lunches - the handiest tip for lunches is to do it the night before. Not only will this save you time in the morning, but you can also sleep easy knowing there's one less thing to get done tomorrow. A piece of fruit, a sweet treat, something to drink and a solid PB & J sandwich will always do the trick in a pinch.

So, for all of your adults that are easing into the 'new year', that which is the school year, remember to keep your cool and go with the flow. Organization is one of the most helpful things you can do for yourself to save both time and energy.

And lastly, since you are all under more stress this weekend, use that extra day for yourself. Grab your clubs and come up to Bushwood for our Long Weekend Golf and Cart Specials. And if you aren't a golfer, that's fine too! Come into the Caddyshack for a cold beer or two or three!

See you there ;)

Sizzling Summer Season

As summer draws to a close and labour day approaches, the golf summer season is drawing to a close as well. Bushwood has had a great summer season with great prices! And just because summer is ending, doesn't mean the great deals are ending too.This labour day weekend, Bushwood is the place to be. With awesome golf and cart combos, it's the perfect way to wrap up the summer season and tee off into the fall. 

As the saying goes 'when one door closes, another one opens', the same goes for trends in golf. With the fall golf season approaching, new trends are emerging. Recently, the talk of the (golf) town has been the peak of teenagers taking over in the industry. We are seeing amazing talent in young golfers on the televised golf tournaments.

Referencing back to a previous post, 'The Truth About Youth', it just goes to show that the youth of today have a strong interest in golf and they are going far with it. Hopefully this trend of youth golfers will continue into upcoming seasons and be passed down to the even younger generations!

Bonding at Bushwood

Many people know that the golf course is one of the main places where business deals go down. But in the business world, golf isn't limited to just making deals. Every year, many companies have staff outings or group events to build connections in the workplace and strengthen the bonds amongst employees. This is beneficial not only for the success of the organization itself, but also for the members of the organization.

As a business communications student with honours at Brock, this is no foreign topic to me. So for me being able to talk about my studies and golf combined is like a hole in one!

Bushwood hosts many company tournaments each season with much success. Not only do these tournaments provide an opportunity for the players to get a day away from the office, but it also works as a team-building day for the company. Having a golf tournament day is a great way to keep employee satisfaction high. It makes everyone feel appreciated for the work they put in. Additionally, it provides the opportunity to match up employees from different areas of the office for the golf foursomes. This is a great way to share new perspectives from within the company with each other, as well as by enabling a wider circle of relationships amongst employees who may not interact daily.

All in all, a bonding day at the course is a win-win for everyone involved. Go ahead, reward yourself for the hard work you do at the office - get on the greens and strengthen the workplace connections!

FOREplay

Golf has never been known as a sport recognizable for creating scandals that the tabloids love. Rather, many people view golf as a boring old-person sport. Part of that perception comes from the fact that it is a participant sport, not a team sport (excluding the Ryder Cup, of course). The other part comes from the long duration of the sport, the tranquility, respect and focus required in the game. When you think golf you don’t think: sex but, when you think hockey you think: jocks and sex (right?).

But wait, stop the press! Or if you look it at differently, start it? Things changed when Tiger Woods’ sexual rendezvous’ in 2009 hit the headlines. These were the first major stories in golf to unite sex and sport.

An article I found online by Gerald Posner talks about the hidden ‘groupie’ scene in the realm of golf. You can find it here: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/12/04/the-secret-world-of-golf-groupies.html. The article reveals that prior to Woods’ slip up and cheating scandal, this type of behaviour was not uncommon among golfers. Take a look and you may be shocked by what you learn – at least I was.

Ultimately, sex and golf are not as a detached as they may seem. According to sources in the article, male pro golfers often use their caddy as the middle man by getting them to pull a good looking lady into the autograph line. Also talked about in Posner’s article was the use of the clubhouse as a way to mingle with the single ladies after a round (of golf and drinks).

But outside of the professional world, what connection do golf and sex have? Well, for some players, it’s a way to bond with buddies and share some stories on the course – girl talk or guy talk if you will. For others, the sport is a way to meet people in order to get to the sex portion of the combo. Whether you’re single, married or it’s complicated, golf and sex have an undeniable connection – it’s up to you whether you find it or not.